Igniting apparatus for gas or explosive engines



(No Model.)

G. E. HOYT.

IGNITING APPARATUS FOR GAS 0R BXPLOSIVE ENGINES. No. 561,890. Patented'June 9, 1896.

Wivzesses:

AND .EW BGRAHAM, FHUTULITHQWASH l N GTUN` D C.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT Ormes.

GEORGE E, IIOYT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

`lCNlTlNC APPARATUS FOR GAS OR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,890, dated J une 9, 1896.

Application tiled September 16, 1893. Serial No. 485,688. (No modeLl To all wiz/0m t may concer/1,:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. IIOYT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniting Apparatus for Gas or Explosive Engines; and I hereby declare the following specification and drawings therewith to be a full description and explanation of my invention.

My improvements relate to a method and apparatus for igniting the explosive charges in gas or vapor engines, especially to apparatus for that purpose, the mode oi' operating being the same as set forth in my application 'for Letters Patent, Serial No. 397,047, iiled June 22, lSSl, for improvement in igniting apparatus for gas-engines, but by means of different and more simple apparatus.

My present improvements consist in maintaining within the gas-engine cylinder or coinbustion-chamber of such engines a continuously-heated or incandescent substance of a refractory nature, preferably platinum, incloscd in a retort or chamber, to which the gases to be ignited are admitted by means of a small aperture, offering such resistance to the pressure and iiow of the gas as to cause such velocity thereof that the iiame will not 'follow baci; and ignite the main body of gas in the engine until the pressure and consequent high velocity of 'the gases through the aperture ceases or is reversed, no valves of any kind being employed or necessary.

The object of my invention is to determine the point of ignition in gas or vapor engines by rela-tive pressure in the cylinder or combustion-chainber of the engine and the igniting chamber or retort and independent of ultimate pressure in the engine-cylinder without mechanical indication or control of the igniting apparatus and definitely in respect to position of the piston and crank, utilizing the heat of the explosive gases to maintain the required temperature of the ignitin g substance employed.

, I am aware that the charges in explosive engines have been ignited by means of tubes containing refractory materials heated by the gases of combustion; but such tubes afforded free communication with the confined gas in the engine-cylinders, and ignition followed when the in flammable gas had by compression. reached a certain heated portion of the tube.

. Consequently the point of ignition was dependent upon the ultimate pressure or compression in the engine-cylinder.

I am also aware that analogous means ol ignition have been employed with the aid of valves or ports having a controlling action; but in my combination the period of ignition is a function of the flow of the gases uncontrolled by anything except by a Varying pressure.

In my invention the length or distance the gas flows into the igniting tube or chamber containing the heated refractory substance is immaterial, because communication thereto is by means of a small aperture so retarding the inflow of the gas as to cause a high velocity thereof and preventing the liame from following back until the flow of gas ceases or is reversed, so the point of ignition is not dependent upon the degree of pressure, but will take place when the piston has reached the required position whether the pressure be more or less. To restate this, which is a inatter of some complexity and relates to phenomena that cannot be observed, in ignitingtubes depending on the distance to which the gas to be ignited flows into them the point of ignition depends absolutely on the degree of pressure, while in my invention the point ci. ignition does not depend upon the degree of pressure in either the engine-cylinder or igniting tube or chamber, but upon the relative pressure between the two,as will be shown by the drawings herewith, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a common gasengine provided with my improved igniting apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in section of the igniting apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan View taken on top of Fig. with a portion of the refractory filling removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the different iigures of the drawings.

A is a com mon vertical gas or ya por engine operating on what is called the two-cycle system, explosion and compression taking place at alternate revolutions of the engine.

I3 is the cylinder, C an inlet-pipe for gas, and D an exhaust-pi pe for bui-ucd or spent gases.

E is the ignting apparatus, consisting of a IOO strong metal chamber or retort open at the top and bolted against the cylinder-head, as shown in Fig. 1. f

The chamberr or retort E can be attached to the piston, the Walls of the cylinder, or in any position within the latter so it will be exposed to the exploding charges of gas and the heat thereof.

The cavity in the chamber or retort E contains several thin bars or plates F,of platinum or other refractory metal, joined by rivets a, and a distance-piece e, so as to form a kind of grating, which isy surrounded by a filling of asbestos or other refractory substance M, leaving beneath the bars or plates F a small cavity G to permit the inru'shing gas to come in contact with these bars or plates in the following manner:

Communicating between the interior of the chamber or retort E and gases in the cylinder B is a small perforation fm, which is made of such diameter that the cavity G and inter9 stices in the chamber E will be filled with gas as fast as compression takes place in the enginecylinder, and the inrushing velocity through this aperture m is such that the flame does not follow rback or ignition take place until the piston Nhas reached its highest position and compression has ceased and there is an equilibrium of pressure in the chamber or retort E and the cylinder B, in which it is placed. The size of this perforation m can be varied in small degree'without changing the result-that is, the degree of retardation offered tothey inrushing gases does not call for such nicety of adjustment as to impair the practical value of the invention. This aperture m is commonly made on e-sixteenth of an inch or less in diameter.

Over the top of the plates F and packing M, I place a plate O, made of some refractory material, such as fire-clay, asbestos, or tile. This plate O can be taken out to place, remove, or inspect the plates F without disturbing the iilling M.

The rate of compression in the cylinder ll, which corresponds to the angular movement of the engine-crank, diminishing rapidly toward the extreme, produces ignition with great regularity and in accordance with conditions that are not easily determinable, because the operations are instantaneous, coneealed and not observable.

In operatingwith my improved igniting yapparatus the engine is first started by any state, or before when the plates F become Y highly heated because of their conductiv- Vity, the main member E of the igniting apparatus remains ata much lower temperature, its heat passing off by induction to the `cylinder B or combustion-chamber I), which is commonly cooled by circulating water. As soon as the plates F are heated to the required point the supplementary means of igniting is cut off and the enginegoes on performing its own functions in this respect automatically, asy hereinbefore explained.

/ Having thus explained the nature and obf jects of my invention, what I claim as newis- 1. In a gas or vapor engine, an automatic igniting retort or chamber placed in the engine-cylinder or combustion-chamber without external communication, yplates or pieces of platinum or other suitable conduct-ing material therein, spacing-pieces between said plates, 'a bolt passing through said plates and spacing-pieces, refractory material partially surrounding said plates, a cavity beneath these bars or plates to permit the inrushing gas toy come in contact with the same, and au aperture communicating between the plates and the engine-cylinder.

2. In a gas or vapor engine, an automatic igniting retort or chamber placed in the engine-cylinder or combustion-chaniber,a series of igniting-plates occupying the central portion of said chamber, spacing-blocks between said plates, a bolt passing through said plates and blocks so as to form a grating, refractory material partially surrounding the grating, a

removable plate over said grating, a cavity below the grating, and an aperture connecting the engine-cylinder with the chamber or retort.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed mysignatnre in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. lflOYT.

lvitncsses:

ALFRED A. ENQUIs'r, WILsoN D. BENT, Jr.

ECO 

